Die-cutting was invented in the mid-1800s in order to help streamline the shoemaking industry. Since cutting the soles of shoes was formerly done by hand, typically out of leather, the process was time-consuming, laborious, and expensive. The invention of the die-cutting machine revolutionized work for cobblers and made shoes much more consistent as shapes were always cut the same size, the same way, instead of by hand. This meant that shoes could now be given standard sizing.
In the early 1900’s, as technology advanced, so did the die-cutting machine. The invention of the hand crank die-cutting machine made it possible to have different sizes and shapes of dies, meaning cobblers could create any part of the shoe they needed by machine – and the same machine at that. Shoes became easier to make and also much more affordable to all people.
It wasn’t until 1977 that the first hand-operated die-cutting machine for consumers was invented, by Bob and LaDorna Eichenberg, the creators of Ellison. Since then, die-cutting machines have continued to grow and transform.